The July Reader’s Digest had a column, written by Ian Harvey, telling people to “Protect Your Online Reputation.” It caught my eye because it suggested one should go on Google and search your own name. He said you could be surprised at what you might find. I’ve only researched something on Google once or twice but my kids are always telling me I should use it more often. But this was something new, searching my own name, and it made me slightly nervous, as he warned that you might be just amused but that you could also be unpleasantly surprised to find inaccurate —or worse— references about you, your family or your job.
Actually I was just surprised to even find my name and a little bit of information, but nothing unpleasant. The information was under a Ryerson Review of Journalism where I shared my name with two others who were noted for writing  “long running columns”. One was our own Don MacDonald who wrote “with a Jaundiced Eye” for this paper in the past and Eric Dowd’s column “ a View from Queens Park”.
Then another note about me that appeared in the Caledon Enterprise on April 17, 2008. It came from a review about a book Helen Brown Duncan had written many years ago about Kate Rice, another St. Marys personality. Helen was the daughter of Dr. Wilbur Brown, a noted family doctor in St. Marys, and she grew up in St. Marys. Interestingly enough, Helen went to New York where she worked for the Reader’s Digest for many years as a researcher, and came back to Canada after her husband passed away and then worked as a researcher for Pierre Burton. She wrote about coming to her old home town of St. Marys to do research for her book on Kate Rice. Apparently I met her at the train and she mentioned my name in the book (I had no recollection of this) and that I was wearing a Coon coat. I knew Helen well as her brother Jim was married to my husband’s sister. So, Ian Harvey was right — I did find something amusing about myself. To find your name through Google isn’t unusual as it is said information about nearly everyone can be found on the Internet. Scary, isn’t it?
Ian Harvey also warned young people to be careful about putting in questionable blogs which at the time they might think as funny but years later it can come back to haunt you when you are seeking a job and the information comes up; it doesn’t look good on your resume. But it shouldn’t be just young people as an Alberta MLA just found out when he entered a blog about a speech he was planning to give to a class of 13- and 14-year-old girls. He was quoted as saying “you should smile more and forget about trying to fight for equality in life.” It caused a lot of uproar and even though he has apologized the feminists are not backing down, they are out for his blood, saying that it was not a good thing to tell young girls.
Harvey also warned young people to be careful about giving out information about yourself. Don’t reveal too much about yourself, your address, your school or your vacation plans, as all this information can be used to steal your identity. You wouldn’t give personal information to strangers on the street so why should you do it online?
My recipe this week was given to me by my neighbour’s daughter Barbara Gilday from Oregon, who was visiting her parents last week. If you like shrimp it is a must-try recipe.
Shrimp Curry
Have ready enough hot cooked rice for required amount of servings. Also we used frozen medium-size shrimp that was already cooked so just needed to be thawed and slightly warmed, overcooked will toughen.
The following sauce will be enough for four servings. Any leftover will keep in the fridge.
Sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 cups plain yogurt
1 tbsp. curry powder (or to taste)
juice of 1/2 lemon
Mix well in a large measuring cup and heat to just boil in microwave. Serve rice with shrimp on top and sauce poured over.
Last year when Barbara was home she gave me this recipe for fish curry that you will find equally tasty.
Fish Curry
225 grams or 1 cup salmon filet
330 gram (1 1/4 cup) halibut filet
6 large prawns
Poach fish and shrimp in fish stock (such as Knorr Instant seafood stock). Remove, debone fish, take shells of shrimp and keep all warm.
Sauce
1 cup mayonnaise
4 cups plain yogurt
2 tbsp. curry powder (or to taste) rind and juice of 1 lemon.
Heat in microwave and pour over hot rice and fish.